Government approved amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code of Ukraine to strengthen the level of responsibility for violations of fire and safety requirements.

According to the bill, the amendments envisage that  a minimum fine for administrative offenses will make up 510 UAH, and the maximum – UAH 8,500.

The draft law also stipulates for increasing fines for fake calls to police, ambulance or emergency service - it will range from UAH 3,400 to UAH 10,200.

Moreover, criminal liability for the violation of technogenic safety requirements which caused an accident or other dangerous event with grave consequences is introduced.

These amendments will be put into practice after the adoption of the bill by Parliament.

Prior to that, the fine for violation of fire safety requirements was  for citizens from UAH 8.5 to UAH 119, and for officials - from UAH 34 to UAH 170.

"Such "punishment" is not enough to make them to comply with safety rules. Strengthening responsibility should increase the level of legal and civic awareness of officials and citizens, as well as reduce the number of violations  that pose a threat to life and health," Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk commented.

Apart from that, the Government is currently working on the legislative regulation of the obligation to allocate funds to the state and local budgets for targeted fire safety measures aimed at reducing the risk of fires in public and administrative buildings, educational, health and other institutions.